21 indicted in central Arkansas meth bust

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies executed the second phase of a large methamphetamine bust on Thursday afternoon. In all, 21 people were indicted on conspiracy charges, while six of them are facing additional charges as well.
(By David Harten)
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LITTLE ROCK  Twenty-one individuals connected to a federal investigation of methamphetamine distribution in central Arkansas have been indicted on drugs and weapons charges, the Department of Justice announced.

According to a news release from the department, an investigation led by a Drug Enforcement Administration-sponsored group of local law enforcement officials targeted Tarik Bouhamidi of Austin, Ark., as the leader of the drug-trafficking organization.

Authorities held a press conference to announce the arrests and indictments at the North Little Rock police and fire training facility on Thursday afternoon.

The release states that the investigation revealed Bouhamidi routinely traveled to Dallas to obtain large amounts of meth from a supplier identified as Johnny Ybarra. Bouhamidi would then arrange for couriers to deliver the meth throughout central Arkansas, according to the release.

Through the investigation, which concluded on Nov. 6 with the indictments of Bouhamidi, Ybarra and 19 associates, it was determined that the organization had distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine between July 2011 and Nov. 9 of this year.

Three of the 21 indicted are still at-large, Bryan Lewis Embry, Jeremy Gradden Putt and Scottie Edwin Sisney.